Happy Ending?. Review on Silsila

I watched this film when I was a young girl back in Russia. Again, I watched this film a few months ago with my best friend, Ajit, since my husband hates Bollywood films. I gave this film a second look for a few reasons. First, this film mirrored the real life affair between Amitabh and Rekha while Amitabh is married to Jaya. I found it to be a bit disturbing for that reason. Secondly, I appreciate the way Yash Chopra humanizes his characters. You can relate to them and feel their pain throughout the film. Thirdly, this film supposedly had a happy ending. However, I could not help having a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when it was all over.

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan plays Amit. He is our lead character. I have never thought of Amitabh as a handsome man, but he is an amazing actor and I like watching him dance with those long legs. He was superb as usual. Rekha plays Chandni. She is Amit's first love. I think Rekha is an amazing dancer and a pretty girl. However, I do not see her as a superb actress. She does well with the sultry looks, but I could not feel bad for her character. Jaya Bhaduri(Bachchan)plays Amit's wife Shobha. Jaya is an excellent actress. She conveys real feelings on the screen. Also, she looks like such an innocent girl in her roles. She makes you care for her very much. Sanjeev Kumar plays Anand, Chandni's husband. I have loved Sanjeev ever since I saw him in Sholay. He continues to amaze me with his acting ability as the doctor and wronged husband of Chandni. Shashi Kapoor plays Shekar. He is Amit's brother and Shobha's fiance who is killed. He is also a good actor. You can see how fun loving he is, but he adores Shobha very much.

Plot: The story is complicated, but that is what I like about Yash Chopra films. He truly makes you care for the characters of his films. Amit and Shekar are brothers and best friends. Amit is a poet and Shekar is an air force pilot. Shekar is engaged to Shobha, and he is waiting for Amit to find a girl so they can get married together. Amit meets Chandni at a friend's wedding and falls in love with her. They date and he wants to marry her.

The same day Amit tells his brother he has found a girl, Shekar is killed on a mission. Amit goes for the funeral, and he finds out Shobha is pregnant with his brother's child. He marries her right away and sends a letter to Chandni telling her that he can't see her anymore.

Fast forward to a few months later. Amit is thinking about Chandni while he is driving with his wife in the car. He is driving too fast and recklessly. They crash. They are rushed to the hospital where Shobha loses the baby, and they meet Anand. Anand comes home to Chandni and lets it slip that Amit and his wife are at the hospital. Chandni brings Amit roses at the hospital. Once this happens, the affair begins. They sneak around to meet one another. They feel that society has wronged them of their love. I will not tell you any more. You have to see the film for yourself.

Conclusion: The reason I say happy ending as a question, is that I do not consider the ending really happy. I see it as a compromise. I know some people felt sorry for Amit and Chandni. They are the wronged lovers. Actually, it was Shobha and Anand I felt sorry for. They both loved their spouses and performed their duties. If they had not been good to Amit and Chandni, I would have been able to accept that affair. Another thing that disturbed me was that while Amit was being intimate with Chandni, he managed to be intimate with his wife as well. After all, she was pregnant again at the end of the film. Finally, the most disturbing feeling I has was Amit and Chandni not caring that what they were doing was disrespectful to their spouses. I especially felt that when when Shobha confronted Chandni. Chandni showed her no respect whatsoever.

I recommend this film highly. The songs and script are amazing. Also, the performances stir emotion. If you have already seen this film, watch it again. I am glad that I have.